2011.11.20 | Live Show: Singer/Songwriter Acoustic Showcase

November 17, 2011 | Posted By: Liem Nguyen

November has been a rather slow month for me in terms of attending and watching shows. There hasn't been much appealing to me. Not to fear, I'm always there to support local DC artists/bands such as Rooftop Pursuit. What makes this show at Ebenezer's Coffeehouse a bit different and unique that night is that this pop/rock band goes acoustic for their set along with Sarah Castille, headlining act Micah, and Rooftop Pursuit's good friend Jae Jin.

Background

I've been to many shows with Rooftop Pursuit even before they changed their band name from Phil Good Band about a year ago and changes to their band members. These changes gave them a new identify as a whole and less focus on one individual, but it didn't change their passion about their music and didn't change the quality of their music. Right now, the band consists of three band members: Phil Lee on vocals/piano, Jason Yi on drums/percussion, and Paul Lee on guitar/strings. They currently have their first EP out entitled the same as their band name featuring their single "Why We Sing", and they are planning on releasing their next single and music video called "All I Need" and their next EP (or even a potential album) in the near future. If you haven't had a chance to see these guys, you're missing out!

It was the first time seeing Sarah Castille perform and also the first time seeing and meeting Jae Jin. Sarah's music is pretty great. She's from Maryland and her voice reminds me a bit like Nelly Furtado. Jae, who's also from Maryland, just starting doing more music and shows recently, and I had the opportunity to see him perform live. I think this guy will have a bright future ahead of him. He is currently working on a Christmas album this year and hopes to have it released soon. The first time I heard him sing was when he did a collaboration cover of "Who You Are" by Jessie J on YouTube with Phil Lee from Rooftop Pursuit. Keep an eye on this guy!

Lastly, it was the second time I saw Micah perform at Ebenezer's Coffeehouse, except last time, he was here performing with Amanda Lee, Joanne Kim, and Joy Ike. Micah is a New Yorker who has a great voice and great songs with a touch of country in him. He currently has an album called "Coast to Coast" as well as an EP entitled simply as his name, "Micah".

I heard about this Singer/Songwriter Showcase acoustic show through Phil Lee and Rooftop Pursuit. I was glad I was able to attend since it was my day off.

Pre-Show

On the day of the show, I wasn't sure how bad traffic is from Springfield to Ebenezer's in Northeast DC taking I-395 North, so I decided to give myself about an hour. I-395 North is usually unpredictable on a daily basis, but luckily that day, I didn't hit much traffic. Street parking wasn't too bad either. I was able to find one less than a block away. We arrived at the coffeehouse about fifteen minutes early and waited for doors to open after sound check was complete for all the performers. We finally were able to head down just after 7:00 pm. Before heading down, my sister and I ran into Amanda Lee who also came to watch the show. After paying the cover fee, we walked into the room to a warm greeting from Phil Lee. I then went to said hi to the rest of the guys in Rooftop Pursuit and was also introduced to Jae.

I finally get settled in at a front row table next to the guys. I set up my camcorder to video record the show. It was the first time testing out my new tripod which was great because it allowed me to video record and take pictures at the same time throughout the show.

Showtime

The show opens with Sarah Castille performing several songs for her set. She performs a few of her original songs as well as a medley cover. I was able to capture her incredible medley cover performance.

After Jae finishes his set, Rooftop Pursuit finally takes the stage. They were the reason why I came to watch the show. It's never tiring to support these guys! They are great on and off the stage. The performed three originals from their first EP, and their last two were new unreleased songs. They had a great acoustic set! Jason was on the cajón, Paul on the guitar and cello, and Phil was on vocals and keys as usual. It was different from their usual performances but yet still a memorable one.

At the end of the night, Micah finishes off the acoustic showcase performing many originals as well as several of covers, one of which was a medley cover. He sure had some entertaining moments when he was telling his stories before each of his song performances.

Below is the whole show from beginning to end. If you would rather see all the video clips as one clip, then go ahead and click on the embedded video below to watch it in respective order.

Sarah Castille [Part 1]

Jae Jin [Part 2]

Rooftop Pursuit [Part 3]

Micah [Part 4]

Post-Show

After the show ended, I just stuck around for a bit to hangout and talk a little bit with all the guys from Rooftop Pursuit, Jae Jin, and even with Amanda Lee. I even had a picture with Rooftop Pursuit and Amanda to end it off on a good note.

Overall, it was a fantastic acoustic showcase. Ebenezer's is a great venue that has great lighting for video recording and pictures. After we left, my sister and I went to have a late dinner before we headed home at Silver Diner in Springfield.

I was able to capture a lot of great pictures from the show. If you'd like to see more of them, please go ahead check them out by clicking on the link below.